Taste Testing 30 Year Old MRE's

[Rick]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cn2vezlSfxs

[finallyME]

A couple years ago I ate a bunch of MREs that I had stored for more than 10 years. I don't know how long it was between me getting them and when they were made. What I found was that all the entrees were good. The peanut butter and crackers and bread were all good. The skittles were harder than rocks (I gave them to boy scouts to break their teeth on). The M&Ms were not good. First the glue on the package had broken down, and then the chocolate was horrible to eat. Also, anything that was fruit in a sauce (think applesauce, fruit cocktail..etc) was definitely bad. It had a bad odor and look off..... so I didn't eat it. The cheese packets showed age, but seemed okay. The Jam didn't seem right though.

I think I am out of the MRE business though. Too many better alternatives.

[crashdive123]

Yep - recently ate some >10 year old MRE's. They have been stored in a storage unit that was not climate controlled....so hot in the summer. All was palatable except for the applesauce and pears. I was not brave enough to try them.

[natertot]

MRE's weren't really designed to last decades. They were designed to implement one whole meal packed with one days worth of caloric intake to one person when cooking is not a viable option. This they do and do well.

If someone is looking for decades, gotta go with commercial items and store according to their instructions.

[Wiggy]

And I felt pretty hard core after eating a hot pocket that was a year past it's "best by" date...

MREs are generally thought to be good for 90 days at 90 degrees. Any hotter for any longer and they'll start to break down. If stored properly they'll last a long time. Some items in them will last longer than others.

They work for some people, other people's bodies reject them though. Leave them huntin' for a spot to dump a grumpy within minutes after eating one. Dang things are expensive these days too.

[rebel]

Had a lot of really old c-rats. Kind of enjoyed them. Well, me and the friends with the cigs. That was a 40 year flash back.

[hunter63]

I guess I should check out the Desert Storm era stash.......Yeah, I know......started with prepping before it was prepping.

[crashdive123]

We were doing some field work on Guam in the mid/late 70's. I had a box of C rats stamped 1958 or 9. Didn't notice a difference between those and the brand new ones other than the Lucky Strikes were stale and the Chiclets were petrified.

[Williepete]

Had a lot of really old c-rats. Kind of enjoyed them. Well, me and the friends with the cigs. That was a 40 year flash back.

I still have some of the cig packs from the old C-Rats. Course since I have stopped smoking, I'm not about to try one, they would be so stale by now, ugh.

Bill